Device for dispensing several fluids comprising at least two flexible bags and two pumps

ABSTRACT

A device for packaging and dispensing several fluid products is described. The device includes at least two sealed flexible gags arranged in a single rigid container, associated with at least one pump, the rigid container consisting of an open cylinder and the bags are provided each with a pump and a push button, and are mounted opposite on each of the two opposite openings of the cylinder. The device is applicable to appliances containing fluids to be dispensed independently of one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a novel device for packaging anddispensing fluid products, and more particularly a device for packagingand dispensing fluid, liquid or pasty products, of the type comprisingat least two flexible bags placed in the same rigid container andassociated with at least two pumps, for separately storing,satisfactorily efficiently, at least two fluid products, protected fromthe air, and for dispensing them separately.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the fluid-product-distribution field, multi-compartment dispensersthat make it possible to store several products separately, to preventthem reacting with one another for example, so that they are not mixeduntil they are used, are known. Thus, application WO 99/64319 describesa simple device for dispensing two fluids simultaneously by means of adouble pump, more particularly for toothpastes or gels. This device hasan upper part mounted telescopically on a lower part, forming a pumpwith two pistons that move in parallel in two cylinders that areintegral with the lower part. Each time the upper part forming apush-button is pressed, variable amounts of products are expelled. Sucha device is therefore not suitable when it is necessary to dispensepredetermined, constant amounts of products.

Also known are devices for separately dispensing two or more fluidproducts, as selected by the user. For example, French patentapplication 01/16246, in the name of the applicant, describes a deviceof the pocket-flask type comprising two bags placed in parallel in thesame flask, associated with two extraction pumps and one or twopush-buttons for actuating the pumps. When the device comprises only asingle push-button, this push-button acts simultaneously on the twopumps and the products exiting from each of the two bags are mixed inthe dispensing head. In a variant, this device comprises two independentpush-buttons, each acting on one pump such that the user is able tochoose to actuate only one of the two push-buttons in order to dispensethe fluid of his/her choice. However, the two push-buttons are placedalongside one another and the user may confuse them and erroneouslyactuate one instead of the other or accidentally press the secondpush-button while actuating the first one if his/her finger is notsuitably placed on the first push-button.

In point of fact, it is often desirable to be able to offer the user adevice containing at least two products that are packaged separately butcan be dispensed independently of one another with minimal risk ofconfusion.

The applicant observed that this objective could be achieved byappropriately associating certain extraction pumps for fluid productsassociated with bags and with a rigid container of the pocket-flasktype.

Fluid-packaging and -dispensing devices of this type are well known.They generally comprise a container with a rigid shell in which isplaced a flexible bag that contracts as the product is extracted fromit. The product may be expelled from the bag using an airless pump, orby being pressurized by a propellant gas acting on the wall of the bagin the flask. In the case of expulsion of product outside the bag usingan airless pump, a vent is provided, generally in the base or neck ofthe flask, to allow external air to enter the space between the flaskand the bag each time the pump is actuated, thus allowing the bag tocontract while maintaining sufficient pressure on its walls. Anillustrative embodiment using this technique is described in patent FR2.723.356, which relates to a device comprising a bag made from flexibleplastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, in a rigid containerwhose neck has an air inlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A subject of the present invention is precisely a device for packagingand dispensing fluid, liquid or pasty products, of the type comprisingat least two sealed flexible bags placed in the same single rigidcontainer and associated with at least two pumps, for efficientdispensing of both products separately.

A subject of the invention is also a device for packaging and dispensingseveral fluid products each contained in a separate bag, making the bagsvery easy to fill without the need for complex or specially designedequipment.

A subject of the invention is also a device for packaging and dispensingseveral fluid products, of the type comprising at least two sealedflexible bags placed in the same single rigid container, ensuringperfect packaging of the product by means of excellent sealing of thebags and pumps.

Finally, a subject of the invention is a device of the type statedabove, which can be manufactured profitably.

The device for packaging and dispensing fluid products according to thepresent invention is of the type comprising at least two sealed flexiblebags placed in the same single rigid container and associated with atleast one pump, and it is noteworthy in that the rigid containerconsists of an open cylinder and the bags are each equipped with a pumpand with a push-button and are mounted in opposition on each opening ofthe cylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of an assembly comprising twobags, and their respective pump and push-button, retained by a ring, andmounted in opposition on the same rigid container;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a variant of the device of FIG. 1,comprising bags of different volumes in a rigid container consisting oftwo open cylinders assembled via their base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Several non-limiting illustrative embodiments of suitable bags andflasks forming devices for packaging and dispensing two fluids accordingto the present invention, are described in more detail below, withreference to the appended drawings.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the bags are fastened via theirneck on the openings of the rigid container, each bag is fastened oneach of the two opposite openings of the cylindrical rigid container,and, preferably, the bags are fastened to the container by means of aring. It may be advantageous to make provision for the ring to beincorporated into the neck of the bag.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder forming therigid container is monobloc, and a bag is fastened to each of itsopenings.

According to another embodiment, the cylinder consists of twocylindrical elements assembled end to end.

As stated above, the open cylinder forming the rigid container may beproduced as a single component or as two components, for example as twocylinders assembled via their bases, by means of adhesive bonding,snap-fitting, screwing, welding or any other appropriate fasteningmeans. The cylinder forming the rigid container may have any crosssection, for example a circular or polygonal cross section.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that the bags may haveany shape, to suit that of the rigid container. Advantageously, thebags, and the rigid container containing them, have a cylindrical shapeon a polygonal, elliptical or circular base. A cylindrical shape of thistype may easily be produced, as stated below, by blow molding orinjection-blow molding the bag, and using this technique the shape ofthe bag may be adapted to that of the rigid container, which means thatlosses in volume are minimized.

The pumps used in the invention are pumps of the airless type, ascommonly used in the field. These pumps are generally produced fromplastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

The pumps are preferably double-valve pumps, which means they arewell-sealed and function satisfactorily irrespective of the position ofthe rigid container. Thus, the pump generally comprises a first valve atthe entry to the metering chamber and a second valve at the exit, forexample at the entry to the evacuation duct.

As stated above, each bag is preferably fastened to the container bymeans of a ring, to which it is conventionally fastened, for example bynesting, by adhesive bonding or by welding. According to one embodiment,the ring and the bag may be made as a single component.

The plastics used to produce the bags may be chosen, for example, fromamong a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a polyamide, an ethylene/vinylalcohol (EVOH) copolymer, a low-density polyethylene, etc. They mayconsist of single-layer materials or multilayer complexes including ametal layer, for example a layer of aluminum forming a barrier thatreinforces sealing, combined with one or more layers of plastic. The bagmay be produced using these materials by methods such as injection-blowmolding or extrusion-blow molding of a pre-form in a suitable mold. Thebag may also be produced by welding a plastic or metal film or amultilayer metal/plastic complex to a support forming the neck of thebag.

According to an advantageous variant embodiment of the invention, eachbag is produced from a material suited to the product it contains, andthe device may thus comprise at least two bags formed from differentmaterials. By way of example, the first bag may be produced fromlow-density polyethylene and contain a cream that is not very sensitiveto the effects of the external environment, while the second bagcontains a more fragile product and may be produced from a polyamide,thereby obtaining better protection against the effects of oxygen andagainst evaporation loss of water vapor.

The material used for the ring may be a plastic of the same nature asthat used for the bag, but treated so as to make it sufficiently rigid,for example by using a greater thickness of material. Thus, polyethyleneor polypropylene rings may be used, and the ring and the bags may beproduced as a single component, by injection-blow molding or any othersuitable method. The rigid container may be produced from plastic orfrom any other suitable rigid material. For example, rigid containersmay be made from polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), glass or a metal such as aluminumor an aluminum alloy.

According to the present invention, two identical bags, or bags ofdifferent volumes may be used together, the metering chamber of eachpump then being preferably adapted to the volume of the correspondingbag. For example, the metering chamber of each pump may be proportionalto the volume of the corresponding bag. This is particularlyadvantageous in the case of the dispensing of complementary fluidproducts that must be mixed in certain quantities. Thus, a device with arigid container and two flexible bags, each communicating with a pump,according to the invention may be adapted to the ratio of mixing of thetwo products contained in the bags, and if this ratio must be 2/1, forexample, the volume of the second bag can be made to be half that of thefirst, and likewise for the volume of the metering chamber of the secondpump with respect to the first.

Furthermore, as the bags are placed contiguously via their base in thesame rigid container, the volume of the latter is fully used, with nodead volume, even if the bags have different volumes.

As for all devices of the pocket-flask type, an external air intake isprovided in the form of a vent or an air suction circuit so that thebags are able to contract inside the rigid container.

According to a simple embodiment, the vent is provided in the wall ofthe rigid container, and it may be equipped with a valve and/or afilter. One or more vents may be provided.

According to a preferred embodiment, the air circuit consists of apassage made in the rim of the fastening ring of each of the pumps,communicating with the space between the pumps and the push-button.

The air circuit, allowing external air to enter the volume between thewall of the rigid container and the bags, is preferably designed toremain closed while the fluid is stored in each bag and to open onlyeach time the pumps are actuated so as to allow only a volume of airequivalent to the volume of fluid expelled from each bag to enter. Whenthe pumps cease to be actuated, the air circuit is automatically closed,thus ensuring optimum preservation of the products contained in the bagsby limiting evaporation through the wall of the bags. It thus comprisesclosure means closing off the circuit while the pumps are not actuated.For example, the air circuit may comprise closure means consisting ofvalves that remain closed while the pump is not actuated.

The two-bag device according to the present invention has the advantageof being easy to fill without it being necessary to use complexequipment. It is possible to fill the two bags simultaneously, to placethe pumps on each bag, and then to place each of the full bags on therigid container, or conversely to fasten the two bags on the rigidcontainer, preferably by means of rings, to fill the first bag and tofasten the corresponding pump, and then to fill the second bag and tofasten the second pump after having inverted the device. According tothe present invention, filling may be carried out using standardequipment, simply using gravity, thus ensuring very regular filling.

Various wordings and illustrations may be affixed to the bag or to therigid container, for example by printing or screen-printing, dependingon the envisioned use.

As it is used and the products contained in it are extracted, each bagcontracts steadily, limiting the risks of splitting or tearing.

The rate of release of the product, i.e. the ratio between the volume ofproduct introduced into the bag during filling and the volume extractedduring use, is excellent, and may be greater than 90%.

The device according to the present invention is particularly useful inareas of application in which two products have to be used separately,for example alternately, as in the case of cosmetic or dermatologicalcompositions, such as creams and gels, when it may be useful to use afirst product at one specific time and a second product at another time,for example a day cream and a night cream. In such an example of use, itis most particularly advantageous to be able clearly to differentiatebetween the packaging through the use of different colors, not only forthe push-buttons, but also for those parts of the rigid container thatcorrespond to each bag volume. It is also possible to produce one partof the rigid container in an opaque material and the other in atranslucent or transparent material, especially when the container isformed by assembling two cylinders via their bases.

Several non-limiting illustrative embodiments of suitable bags andflasks forming devices for packaging and dispensing two fluids accordingto the present invention, are described in more detail below, withreference to the appended drawings, which show:

FIG. 1: a diagrammatic sectional view of an assembly comprising twobags, and their respective pump and push-button, retained by a ring, andmounted in opposition on the same rigid container;

FIG. 2: a sectional view of a variant of the device of FIG. 1,comprising bags of different volumes in a rigid container consisting oftwo open cylinders assembled via their base.

The device of the pocket-flask type shown in FIG. 1 comprises a rigidcontainer (1) of cylindrical shape of which the two ends are concealedby two caps (2 a, 2 b). The rigid container (1) and the caps (2 a, 2 b)are produced from polypropylene. Two flexible bags (3 a, 3 b) made frompolypropylene and produced by injection-blow molding are inserted intothe container (1) to which they are fastened by means of rings (4 a, 4b).

The rings are secured to the wall of the container (1) by means of aknown method, for example by nesting by virtue of a rib on the peripheryof each ring interacting with a groove formed in the internal wall ofthe container. The bags are assembled with the rings by nesting of theirneck in the central hole of the ring, in a known manner.

A pump (5 a, 5 b) of the airless type is placed on the neck of each bag,by means of nesting in accordance with a conventional method. Each ofthese pumps may be actuated by a push-button (6 a, 6 b), an exit nozzle(7 a, 7 b) being provided for expelling the product whenever the pumpsare actuated when the caps (2 a, 2 b) have been removed by the user.

An air-intake circuit (8 a, 8 b) is provided on the rim of each ring (4a, 4 b) so that air can enter the volume between the bags and theinternal wall of the rigid container (1) whenever one or other of thepush-buttons is actuated.

In order to use the device, the user removes one or other of the twocaps (2 a, 2 b) and presses the corresponding push-button in order toobtain the product of his/her choice, which exits from one or other ofthe two bags (3 a) or (3 b).

As shown in FIG. 2, the container (1) may be formed of two cylinders (1a, 1 b) of the same diameter. The cylinder (1 a) contains the bag (9 a)of smaller volume than the bag (9 b) contained in the cylinder (1 b).

The two cylinders (1 a, 1 b) are assembled via their base, by nesting,by virtue of grooves (10, 11) at the base of the cylinder (1 a) and ofthe cylinder (1 b), respectively, interacting with an annular rib (12)provided on the rim of the reinforcement disk (13) placed between thebags. The disk (13) helps to keep the whole in place.

Preferably, each of the two cylinders (1 a) and (1 b) is in a differentcolor in order clearly to identify the two products contained in thebags.

1. A device for packaging and dispensing fluid products, of the typecomprising at least two sealed flexible bags placed in the same singlerigid container and at least two pumps, wherein the rigid containerconsists of an open cylinder having a cylindrical wall and two oppositeopenings and the bags are each equipped with a pump and with apush-button and are mounted in opposition on each opening of thecylinder, and wherein the bags are fastened to the container by means ofa ring; and an air circuit configured to provide external air to avolume between the cylindrical wall of the rigid container and the bagsand consisting of a passage made in a rim of a fastening ring of each ofthe pumps, communicating with the space between the pumps and thepush-button, and wherein it comprises closure means closing the circuitwhen the pumps are not actuated, wherein at least one bag is fastened oneach of the two opposite openings of the cylindrical rigid container. 2.The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bags are fastened viatheir neck on the openings of the rigid container.
 3. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises at least two bags formed fromdifferent materials adapted to the product contained in each bag.
 4. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bags are produced byinjection-blow molding or extrusion-blow molding a material chosen fromamong a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a polyamide, an ethylene/vinylalcohol (EVOH) copolymer, and a low density polyethylene.
 5. The deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the bags are produced by welding aplastic or metal film or a multilayer metal/plastic complex on a supportforming the neck of the bag.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the ring is incorporated into the neck of the bag.
 7. The deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylinder forming the rigid containeris monobloc.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylinderconsists of two elements assembled end to end.
 9. The device as claimedin claim 8, wherein the two elements are assembled via their base bymeans of adhesive bonding, snap-fitting, screwing or welding.
 10. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises two bags of differentvolumes.
 11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the meteringchamber of each pump is proportional to the volume of the correspondingbag.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bags, and therigid container containing them, have a cylindrical shape on apolygonal, elliptical or circular base.
 13. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the air circuit opens each time the pumps are actuatedso as to allow only a volume of air equivalent to the volume of fluidexpelled from each bag to enter.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 1,comprising two sealed flexible bags and two pumps, wherein a bag isfastened on each of the two opposite openings of the cylindrical rigidcontainer.